In the Shadow of Remnant
by The WovenMantis
Summary: The crystal malfunctioned, and upon its destruction, it disrupted the Shadow Realm. Now far away from Runeterra and the Order of Shadow, Zed will be forced into new alliances and face many new enemies. With so little knowledge, only one thing is certain: The people of Remnant must either embrace the shadow...or die in darkness!
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**AN: Y'know I tried to write something similar (to an extent) at one point and it was rushed and written rather poorly, so I wiped that disgrace off of the face of existence and will either:**

 **a.) Continue this one if it gets good reception.**

 **b.) Make a new one similar in concept to the original one, just not written like garbage.**

 **c.) Both, because I'm bound to have too much time on my hands in the coming months.**

 **Anyway, without further adieu, I present "In the Shadow of Remnant."**

 **Chapter 1: Prologue**

"Almost complete.."

Zed, the shadow ninja, had been sitting and watching the circular arrangement slowly form over the last few hours, maintaining an otherworldly glow. He had hoped it would assemble itself faster.

The red crystals resting on the ceiling, had their fiery power coupled with the shadow energy harnessed by Zed himself. Once the crystals had drawn enough power, he could use it to possibly strengthen his technique and improve his students. Perhaps create some sort of weapon. God knows his army needed it.

The Order of Shadow's recent victory over sea-faring Noxian forces near Ionia's southern island was pyrrhic one. Noxia had many ships and an even greater number of warriors, but the war-driven fools were lead into a trap. The shadow ninjas were able to get very close undetected by using the nearby cliffs, and boarded the Noxian ships. In such close quarters and clustered spaces, the Noxians were unable to properly wield their hefty weapons, leaving the ninjas at an advantage. The ships never made it to shore, and Noxia's famed executioner Draven was coming home with more than a few personally given scars. That egotistical glory-hog wouldn't be returning to combat anytime soon. However, Zed had lost most of his best students in the fighting to preserve that island, and _no one thanked him. They never did._

This left him with nothing but some of his newest students, and even fewer mentors to teach them.

The Order needed this crystal.

Sounds of combat came to be heard from outside. Zed had expected some resistance, due to the unexpectedly large amount of forest that had been affected by the energy vacuum. The life essence would of course return to the forest after the process was complete, and the ninjas would take their leave. The Shadow Order had been created to preserve Ionia, after all, not destroy it. Although he supposed whoever it was currently mopping the floor with his students wouldn't listen to his reasoning.

He sighed, and rose to his feet. The attackers would die for interfering with his Order, it was the only way to be sure of success.

 _Just like the rest.  
_

* * *

Zed had been waiting in the shadows for less than a minute before the vastayan entered the small temple. It was the rebel, Xayah. But then, who was still beating on the guards outside?

 _No matter. I will kill her quickly, and then eliminate the unknown._

Zed silently leapt from the shadows, his forearm blade extended across his left arm. He would end it with one strike, impaling her through the neck. Xayah was more talented than he gave her credit for, however.

Her animalistic senses heard whistling blade through the air, and she jumped haphazardly to the right, as Zed's blade impaled itself into the ground. Undisturbed by Xayah's reaction, he continued the flow of motion, and capitalized on Xayah's surprised state by landing a jumping kick to her stomach.

Zed jumped at her again, but the bird-woman recovered quickly and rebounded off the wall, dodging the second of his strikes and throwing an attack of her own with razor sharp feathers. Zed again was a step ahead, shadow switching out of the way, and preparing his defense. They were at range now, meaning the vastayan had an advantage.

She threw three feathers with one swoop of her hand, which Zed expertly deflected. A cracking noise made them both glance upwards.

One of the deflected feathers had impaled itself in the crystal, damaging it.

Zed audibly growled. He wouldn't lose the artifact, not after all the work he'd been through to get here!

Both of his arm blades extended, and his fists clenched; full of killing intent. There would be no more games.

He launched upon her swiping blow after blow, performing short stabs towards her midsection, forcing her to block and derailing her aim. It was only a matter of time before he landed a killing blow.

Xayah again attempted to strike him off of the wall, but Zed had predicted the move, slashing at the rock wall as she jumped, causing her to land painfully and prone.  
 _Now, she is finished._

A creeping laugh echoed throughout the room as Zed jumped high into the air, before splitting into three shadows, and marking the now vulnerable Xayah for death. Many knew about the Master's shadows, but few had lived to tell about it, and **none** survived twice.

The shadows leapt down from the stone pillars simultaneously; descending like death itself upon the Vasatyan, but she had one last trick up her sleeve.

Spraying all of her feathers in an upwards explosion, Zed shifted to the right to dodge the attack, forcing him to land a concussive strike with his armored shoulder. There was a small crack, and her body gave as he made contact. She was injured, and severely.

Shaving off what feathers had impaled themselves into his armor, he made one final dash towards the vulnerable woman, just as a second bird-man entered. This new enemy also rushed towards Xayah, but it did not matter. Zed would be on her in moments.

At least, that is what Zed thought, until magic began to glow from Xayah's palm.

Zed spared a glance upward, and was enraged by what he saw.

 _She wasn't trying to kill me with her attack, she was aiming for the crystal!_

The temple began to crumble as the magic from within blasted apart, destroying the structure and sending it crashing down. Stone was falling from the ceiling, and Zed knew the battle had been lost.

As he entered the shadow realm to avoid escape, a falling chunk of rock made brutal contact with his breastplate, denting and smashing the metal, along with a portion of his chest underneath it. Then there was blackness, as he entered the shadows.

But he did not return to the world. He sat floating, watching as the fiery magic consumed the smoke-like dimension around him. Zed had time only to question for a moment as he lost consciousness.

 **END CHAPTER**

 **AN: Obviously this is just the prologue, so there isn't a whole lot here. (Scene was maybe a little bit familiar?) Mainly it's just expository information, and displaying Zed as more of a Chaotic Good rather than the pure evil villain that Riot shows him as. (Seriously, he doesn't seem that bad if you read more of the lore.)**

 **Hopefully the fight scene was good enough, I need to just write more of them and get feedback, and hopefully they will improve with time. It wasn't** _ **that**_ **bad, right?**

 **As always, thanks for reading, and comments are always welcome, and I encourage you to leave crisitism to help me improve as well.**

 **The WovenMantis, signing off.**


	2. Chapter 2: Rude Awakening

**AN: Here's chapter 2. Not much else to say. Decided to upload 2 chapters right away to get into some of the actual story a bit. This first part probably needs some feedback anyway. PS, there's a lot of swearing in this chapter, maybe I should change the rating. Idk.**

 **EDIT: Line breaks didn't save properly, which probably was causing some confusion in the transition. Hopefully the error has been fixed now.**

 **Chapter 2: Rude Awakening(s)**

Zed sat up with a start and immediately regretted it. His chest ached with a brutal pain, whatever injury the collapse of the temple had caused him was more than superficial; he was bleeding all over the snow.

He was bleeding all over _the snow._

 _Am I in the Freljord?_

Regardless, he needed to get moving. Finding something to tend to his wound was of utmost importance, and if he was in the Freljord, he was also in the utmost danger. Fearsome creatures strong enough to survive the winds and the cold prowled these parts, and would be more than a match for a wounded man armed with what would effectively be small knives.

He looked upwards as he walked, and saw that he was, thankfully, not at the top of the mountain. Looking down, he thought he could make out the tips of trees. Silver lining, he supposed. The issue was finding a way down, and before he either bled out or froze to death.

The cliff-face he was on wasn't wide enough for a leisurely stroll, and it was especially difficult to walk while looking for another outcropping close enough and large enough to shadow-blink to.

Shuffling to the edge, he found a small cave a few metres down. From there, he should be able to slide down a little bit to a lower shelf and take in his surroundings.

Zed vaulted over the edge and dropped a couple feet before sending his shadow form out to stand just outside the cave opening. He allowed himself to fall a little further before shadow swapping.

He glanced over the side again. He could see the forest floor, but more importantly, now he could see train tracks.

They looked different than they did in Zaun. These were supported entirely by concrete pillars, which were anchored firmly into the ground.

"Where am I?"

"GRRRRRRRR…"

His thoughts were interrupted by the beastly growl that echoed out from the cave. Zed moved into a defensive position as the creatures emerged.

The three wolves were unlike anything he had ever seen.

They were easily the size of a man, with jet black fur. The most notable feature, however, was easily the bone-like mask, covering their upper jaws and forehead, and their look was completed by their glowing blood red eyes, and vicious claws. These were no Murk Wolves.

Two of the creatures launched themselves at him, in quick succession. Zed responded in kind by throwing his infamous Razor Shuriken at the faster of the two. The large throwing weapon bisected the creature easily, and continued until it stuck itself in the rock wall.

 _They are rather frail predators…_

The second creature swung it's paw in wide arc, and Zed countered by slicing off it's exposed limb mid swing, before impaling his shadow blade directly through the creature's skull. It fell limply to the ground.

He turned his attention to his third and final opponent. It stayed back at the mouth of the cave, eyeing him now in wariness. This pause allowed Zed to analyze the creature with greater intensity.

This creature was much larger than the other two, complete with larger talons and numerous bony protrusions along it's back and sides. This was the alpha; the leader of the pack.

Zed threw a shuriken to test it's reflexes. It moved to dodge, but the creature was yet too slow, the thrown blade had caught the wolf's arm. It began to attack then, approaching in a half limp from it's injury. It then leapt with all of its strength; opening its jaw to bite.

Zed was much quicker. His other shuriken was already drawn, and he used it as an impromptu melee weapon, jamming it forcefully into the oncoming mouth of the creature, before ripping open the creature's neck with a shadow slice, killing it instantly.

Zed flinched as he stepped away from the battle, and glanced down to his left side. He was bleeding quickly again, he needed to exert himself the least amount as possible. It was unknown when he would find civilization. His shurikens materialized onto his back, and Zed took another look at the creatures, only to find that the corpses were evaporating into the air, and leaving no trace behind.

 _Only more questions... Just where did that crystal spit me out?_

He was becoming more frustrated by the minute. At least the path forward was clear: he would follow the tracks until he found civilization. It was his best chance of survival. Besides, the long walk would give him time to think about all that occurred.

 _Just what exactly had happened?_

He _should_ have appeared out of his shadow blink at the rendezvous point just outside the rear wall of the Ionian temple. Instead, he was stuck walking on train tracks, in a red forest, in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.

 _What a wondrous day._

Had the crystal's magic interfered with his teleportation? He removed some small shards that remained in his possession and analyzed them. They still maintained their opaque glow from before, just not as bright.

There were no markings on it. It was just an ordinary ruby.

That glowed.

And could store energy.

On a massive scale.

Now that he thought about it, he probably should have done significantly more research before attempting such an 'experiment.' He just needed an advantage; something _good_ to happen for just _once._

He had done it again. He had made another hasty decision. And again it cost him.

He half-tripped on a bump in the tracks, which caused him to look down.

His entire left leg was covered in the blood from his side injury.

"Ha!..." He mocked himself.

Wouldn't this be a way to go. The Master of Shadows. Bled to death on train tracks, all because of a falling rock.

If he really thought about it, every bad decision in his life was a hasty one. Because he wanted power, recognition.

He wanted to utilize the power held within the crystal, and he ended up here.

He wanted to finally be hailed as a hero in Ionia, for defending its borders, and he lost some of his best warriors and most skilled students.

He returned to his home temple to retrieve the source of his power and perfect his technique. His master was killed, and Shen hated him.

 _He opened the box._

Zed stumbled again. Was his vision getting blurry?

He looked down at his leg. Had there always been that much blood?

He was on his knees now, and turned around slowly.

There was a bright light, warm and inviting. The sides of the track were exploding in sparkles.

 _Is this truly death? How unfulfilling._

Zed fell unconscious for the second time today.

* * *

" **KARL HOLY FUCK STOP THE TRAIN!"**

"SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!"

"IT'S NOT STOPPING KARL!"

"I'M TRYIN HARVEY, I'M TRYIN!"

"EMERGENCY BRAKES!"

 _ ***SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE***_

 _ ***SLAM***_

 _*KSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*_

Today was just _not_ Harvey Bueller's day.

First, it was the paperwork. Apparently some lunatic terrorists had recently gained control over a small portion of Forever Fall Forest's very outskirts, which, let's be honest, _did_ almost double his payment, but OH GOD the paperwork.

Sign this, sign that, "We the Schnee Dust Company are not responsible for any harm that may come to you," blah blah blah.

This the caused him to be over half-an-hour late to the docking station to drive the train. He got yelled at for that. He tried to explain to the man that there was last minute paperwork, but he wasn't having it. He also said the time was coming out of ' _Mr. Bueller's'_ paycheck.

After being introduced to his co-conductor, Karl…Marx? No that was someone else.

Anyway, they finally got the train going.

For about half a mile.

Engine trouble. Apparently, the train was 200 lbs over the weight limit, and wasn't fueled properly as a result. Had they guys seriously not checked this shit while they were waiting for him!? Harvey even tried to go see _what the hell_ was making the train weigh so much, but:

"Sorry sir this car is off limits."

"But I'M THE CONDUCTOR. HOW CAN IT BE 'OFF-LIMITS' TO ME!?"

Regardless, two of the damn dust miners that the train was transporting had to take the hand car back and forth from the station to the train like 9 times before Harvey was able to give the green light for the 'let's GTFO already,' as he so eloquently put it.

And then _finally_ they were able to get the train _actually_ going, and only about 2 and a half hours late! Truly, a miracle.

But then, only 1 hour later, "OH NO!", then the sensors picked up an _actual fucking person_ on the tracks. A real, air breathing person.

 _How the_ _ **hell**_ _did he even get up here!_

So then here he was slamming his head (and the rest of his body) into the train to not kill whoever this dumb idiot was on the tracks.

"GAH, MY HEAD! AND THE REST OF MY BODY!"

"Harvey, I think we stopped in time!"

"Better have fucking stopped on time! That Schnee Overseer is gonna kill me if we did all _that_ for nothing! Probably broke half of the expensive shit during that stop," Harvey complained. "Now, let's go find out what lunatic has decided to sleep on my train tracks!"

The two got out of the conductor's car shimmied along the side of the train, before hopping off to walk down the tracks. The train had probably stopped a good 500 feet before collision. Value of top-o'-the-line Atlesian sensors he supposed.

Harvey saw the man's outfit before anything else.

"This guy's in some sorta ninja-getup! What is this, comic-on?"

"Nah Harvey, I think he's one of those huntsman! Y'know, hunt the Grimm and all that. Look at those ninja stars!"

"Yeah, he's also bleedin' all over the tracks."

The two paused.

"HOLY SHIT KARL HE'S BLEEDIN' ALL OVER THE TRACKS! GET A DOCTOR OR SOMETHIN!"

"Got it!"

Meanwhile, Harvey ran over and grabbed the 'unknown-but-very-oddly-dressed' man by the armpits and dragged him inside the conductor's car.

"KARL, IN HERE!"

"Harvey, I got one! This guy's a doctor!"

"That's right, I'm a doctor!"

"Yeah I know _asshat,_ now hurry and use that emergency medkit over there to save him! We got it all opened up already."

"What?! I'm not that kind of doctor! I'm a Gastroenterologist! I help people with abdominal pain, not battle-wounds!"

"YEAH? Well that guy is having some pretty fukin' serious abdominal pain right now! At least hold the damn kit while Karl and I wrap his side!"

 _Agh, fuck this day so much,_ Harvey thought as he rolled up his sleeves.

"Let's get to it."

 **CHAPTER END**

 **Question of the Chapter(QOTC): Does anyone know Zed's age? (Approximately) I'd imagine for him to be doing all of his ninja moves he'd be somewhere between 20-30.**

 **AN: Hope the chapter was decent. Oh the drama and the agony! The part I'm most worried about is the fight scene and/or when he's walking around in the snow. I feel like it might be a bit awkward to read. (Hopefully it's not.) Also, in case you didn't realize, Harvey likes to swear! Figured it would be an interesting personality disparity between the two for future chapters. (Yes, Harvey will be a main/supporting character) Again, feedback and criticism always much appreciated.**

 **Additionally, I'd like to note that I do indeed have Chapter 3 ready, but I'd like to hold off posting it for a little bit here. This will hopefully allow me to get a little farther into chapter 4. I'm not going to commit to any sort of upload schedule at the moment, as I'm very busy with schoolwork (and other important things) at the moment, so I may not be able to work on this as much as I'd like. I'll upload chapter 3 once I've begun work on Chapter 4.**

 **-The WovenMantis**


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to Remnant

**Chapter 3: Welcome to Nowhere**

"Ugh."

Zed awoke slowly, with an aching pain present in his lower abdomen. He wasn't quite sure where he was.

 _Am I dead?_ Another voice shook Zed from his thoughts.

"Oh my God. NO WAY. NO FREAKING WAY. WE DID IT! KARL WE SAVED HIM, HE'S AWAKE!"

 _I suppose not._

"Wait, actually? And we don't even know, like, **anything!** "

Zed looked downwards at his abdomen. His armor was still covered in dry blood, but his wound was hidden by entirely white bandages, tarnished only by a splotch of blood soaked into the fabric.

"Where have you brought me?"

"You, my ninja slash huntsman slash psycho friend, are currently aboard a Schnee Dust Company cargo transport train, bound for the wonderful city of Vale. And we just saved your ass, by the way. We had to stop the whole train to pick you up off of the tracks! Just what were you doing?"

Zed didn't exactly know where this "Vale" was, but he would play their game. For now, anyways.

"It is...a long story."

He would try to divulge as little as possible. If this world was unknown to him, it is quite likely that the people here were also unaware of his.

"Is it now? Well how about we get you situated and you can tell us all about it." The man sat down in a chair opposite Zed and began speaking again.

"If we're gonna talk, let's start from the start. I'm Harvey Bueller, and this Karl somethingorother. We're currently runnin' this train. What's your name, psycho?"

"Zed."

The two train conductors shared a confused look.

"Zed…?"

"Just Zed."

"Well then, since we're in just such a sharing mood today," Harvey sarcastically commented, "mind telling us why a huntsman such as yourself was out in the middle of the railway?"

"A 'huntsman?' I'm not familiar with the term."

"Oh c'mon, you know. A huntsman. The people who go out to fight the Grimm?"

"Grimm? Do you speak of the demon wolves? Yes, I was combating them earlier. They were dispatched rather easily."

"So you _do_ know what I'm talking about. Never heard anyone call 'em 'demon wolves,' though. Everyone calls 'em the Grimm. You from one of those outskirt villages? Like Shion?"

"Yes," Zed lied. The man had provided him an easy scapegoat, hopefully he wouldn't ask too many more questions. Zed needed information, and prodding would only lead to additional suspicion of himself. "If I may be so bold, what exactly is this train transporting?" He continued. Zed spared a second to glance outside the window. This train was moving _fast._ Much faster than any machine he had seen before.

"Funny you mention it, I'm not entirely sure myself. I know we're transporting refined Dust crystals from the Schnee quarries in Atlas. This is the last leg before it's sold off to shops and the like. We got some of every type onboard, I know that for sure. Fire, ice, wind...you name it, this train's probably got it. I'm not sure of the exact value, but judging from the overall size of the cars, I'd say probably upwards of 15 million lien. Makes me a little nervous, all things considered."

 _Elemental crystals? Was that what I was tampering with in the temple? But then how did they end up in Runeterra in the first place?_

"I agree. Carrying expensive cargo is always a dangerous task."

"Right on the money. The terrorist group known as the White Fang recently set up shop in the outskirts of this same forest, so you can imagine why I'm a bit on edge."

"The White Fang?" Zed questioned. Another mysterious faction on this planet. As much as he would like to push for further questions, some would be far outside the bounds of reason.

" _What planet is this?" Isn't exactly something that comes up in common conversation._

"You never heard of the White Fang? Man, you must really have been living under a rock. The White Fang have been all over the news recently. They were initially a peaceful protest group, protesting the civil rights of the faunus. Now though, they've turned into a bit of a terrorist organization. Attacking and killing all people, shops, and even corporations that are even suspected of being the tiniest bit prejudiced. Throwin' some people into a bit of a tizzy, it is."

"The faunus?"

"You takin' a piss ninja-man? The _faunus._ You know, they're like people but they got extra animal parts here and there. Like same cat ears, or bird feathers."

"Ah, my apologies. We refer to them as the vastayans. An ancient name, one lost to time," Zed bullshitted.

"Shoulda figured. Bet you got weird names for other shit, too. Hell, what do you call the planet?"

"Runeterra."

"Well, the modern name is Remnant. I suppose it's because that's what we are, really. A remainder of something greater, a long, long time ago. Speakin' of which I bet somma those historians would have a field day in your village. Where did you say you were from again?"

"A small village, far beyond the walls of this city you call Vale. We named our village Ionia. A small settlement, full of powerful warriors."

"You know Zed, I think I just might remember that. Think of it as a favor for saving' your life: maybe you could show me some of the ancient scriptures and shit you got over there.

Zed almost laughed aloud. "Just maybe."

The train ride so far had been rather uneventful after that. Zed simply sat in the chair, staring out the window of the train car. He admired the moon; it was shattered. Some bits could still be seen floating close the remaining mass. Zed had asked how the breaking had occured. Harvey said no one knew; another one of those "Remnant things," he joked.

More importantly however, Zed was trying to plan out his next move. Said objective was turning out to be awfully difficult, considering his extreme lack of information and resources. For now though, he decided to stand up and test how badly he was injured. The two men may have been nothing but rather loudmouthed train conductors, but it appeared as though they wrapped and treated the wound appropriately. He would most likely need to see an official physician before trying anything especially taxing.

The stretch made him grunt in pain. He would have to find some other way to get around after he reached Vale. His current attire wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Purchasing a change of clothes was out of the question as well, since he didn't have any money.

Harvey believed he was a "huntsman" though. Perhaps others would think the same. Zed had a funny feeling Harvey didn't have any special knowledge unknown to the general populous.

"Agh, fukin' shit! We got alarms going off on the train's last car. Karl, you see anything on the cams?"

"I got nothing. All of the cars are empty...shit!"

"AW, HELL!" Harvey had since joined Karl at the wall of flickering paintings, and was apparently frustrated by what he saw. Zed made a few steps over to join them in looking at the images as well.

"What seems to be the issue?" Zed inquired. He would ask about the magical paintings at a later time.

"Y'know those terrorists I mentioned earlier? The White Fang? They got two of their best agents hijacking MY TRAIN! It's Adam Taurus and his hooker partener!"

Zed looked down to study the two people in the picture.

The first of the two appeared to be a tall, 20 something year old male standing at what Zed would guess to be 6'4". He had spiky brown hair, that was mostly died red. His most notable features were the white mask similar to that of a Grimm face, that covered his forehead down to his nose, and two small bull-horns that protruded from the sides of his head above the mask, identifying him as a vastayan, or faunus, as the people of Remnant would call them. Outside of that the he wore a black, half-buttoned suit jacket with a red flame logo on the left shoulder, and a red shirt underneath. His look was completed with a pair of long black pants and black, red-soled boots. He was wielding a traditional katana, with a crimson blade.

His accomplice was a girl of average height, who couldn't have been over 18. She had long black hair, with a ribbon tied in a black bow on the top of her head. She was wearing a black buttoned vest with short coattails and a single silver button on the front. Underneath this was a white, sleeveless, high necked, crop undershirt and white short shorts with a zipper on the front of each leg. Completing her look was a pair of black, low-heeled boots, and full stockings with a black-to-purple color graduation at the ankles. She was wielding a double-edged short sword that had a pistol grip(?) and wrapped with the ribbons around her forearm.

Zed decided to tune back in to the ongoing conversation when an important looking man in a lavish white suit entered the room. He quickly entered a series of numbers into the pad beside the door, it shut, and then was reinforced by a series of other doors after it. He was scared.

"Harvey! Hurry up and engage the security protocols!"

Harvey gave the executive a confused look. "We got security protocols on this bucket?" Harvey questioned, letting his eyes wander back over the control panel. "Where's the-"

"OUTTA THE WAY!" The man hurriedly shoved Harvey to the side as he swiped some sort of key card across the dashboard before entering in a series of complex codes and smashing on down a large red button labeled "EMERGENCY" in bolded white letters.

"Ah, so that's where it is. How did I miss that..?" Harvey rubbed his chin.

Zed turned his attention again to the security feed. Some black and red colored security robots were currently exiting one of the cars labeled "Security Clearance 3" en masse. The robot's arms began to mechanically morph into either gatling guns or shortswords. They were ready for combat. Looking back at the executive, he had a proud look on his face.

"Those are top of the line Schnee upgraded Atlas defense droids. We're completely safe now, they should dispose of the intruders in a matter of minutes. We can just sit back an-EEK!" The man practically toppled over and scrambled as far as possible away from the _thing_ that had just entered his sight.

That thing was Zed.

Though he wouldn't admit it, Zed was pleased with the man's reaction. He had designed his armor to strike fear into the hearts of mortal men. That coupled with his gleaming red eyes and imposing (less so now, as he was currently slightly stooped due to his injuries) stature made him look like a force to be reckoned with.

"WHO IS THAT!?"

Harvey was the first to reply. "That, is a bonafide huntsman, that _we_ saved." Harvey boasted, smug at both his accomplishments and the cowardice of the Schnee official.

Zed dipped his head in introduction. "Zed."

"Is THIS why you stopped the train earlier!? How ridiculous! If I ever hear of-"

"I don't mean to knock you off your high horse," Harvey interrupted, "But Adam and his buddy are _kinda sorta_ mopping the floor with your robots."

"I-Impossible! There's no way they could be defeating so many! What about the WTX-6800 Dust-Cannon mounted Spider Mech?"

"That Taurus guy is gonna kill it riiight aboooooouut….now" Harvey's line was punctuated with a loud explosive noise coming from the security panel.

"And currently the two are making their way to this very car."

The Schnee overseer fainted at the news.

"Well, Zed. About that favor I was talkin' about? I know you're injured, but we've got nothing left. We're ALL totally screwed if you don't go out there and kick some serious ass."

Zed could very well just leave the train, but following the tracks again may not be the best solution. After all, he was still unsure how far away this "Vale" was, and at the speed this train is going, it may take him days to reach civilization on foot. These people were also is only contacts in this new realm. Saving them would certainly put him in their good graces. Besides, he did kind of owe Harvey for saving his life.

"I shall handle them. _None escape the shadow."_

 _CHAPTER END_

 **AN: Tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Merest Shade

**Wow, it's really been a whole year since the last chapter? Damn. Guess life got a little crazy. I won't go into details.  
Anyway, to any of you who are still here: IT LIVES! I honestly don't know where the time went, but I do know that some crazy personal stuff saw me lose my will to write for quite awhile, Lord knows I tried. Despite that, it still took a whole year to get this out, so I suppose I was on quite the hiatus. Regardless, I'm now back to actually starting to write s'more, so chapters will no longer be posted yearly, at the very least. Hope everyone reading had an absolutely fantastic year. Now, on with the fic.**

* * *

Zed bounded across the train on his way to intercept the vastayan duo that were making their approach to the conductor's car. Harvey had informed him what he knew about Adam from previous raids he had done on Schnee supply transports.

The man wielded a blood-red katana, and the material was surprisingly apt at storing energy, Harvey reasoned, based on the way he absorbed the beam from the mechanized arachnid earlier before. Additionally, Adam could then unleash that energy in what the White Fang boasted was a "Moonslice." It's destructive power appeared to be unrivaled, and would most likely give even a rampaging Cho'Gath pause.

Zed would have to be wary. He was tired and healing, and should not be going head-to-head with a warrior never before bested in single combat.

He frowned in annoyance. This wouldn't even be single combat. He was against both Adam and his female partner, who appeared to be equally dangerous. Finding a way to deal with them both would be extremely difficult, and beginning the fight with a lethal first strike would be of the utmost importance.

Zed continued forward with renewed vigor and determination.

* * *

Adam sagged to one knee for a moment in recuperation. The amount of aura he had poured into that semblance-based attack was substantial. Regardless, the destruction of the spider droid marked the last of the onboard defenses, meaning the supplies would be his to take, and whatever crew may survive the crash would die to the roaming Grimm. He allowed himself a smile of satisfaction. The raid was a brilliant success.

"Well, Blake, I think it's-" He turned around, only to find Blake standing quite a ways away on the previous car; her eyes closed sadly in the moonlight.

"Goodbye." Blake said, as her sword broke the coupling between the two train cars. The car decelerated quickly, and the gap was much too far to leap by the time Adam arrived at the edge. He reached out for her in futility, hoping the gesture would somehow bring her back, but no such miracle occurred. Soon, the only trace of her departure was the scraping noise of the emergency brakes echoing throughout the valley, until that too faded away. Adam's sadness soon became nothing but rage, and he let out a violent shout in frustration. Only one thought remained in Adam's mind: He would make Blake _pay_ for her betrayal. No matter the cost.

* * *

Zed watched the situation unfold with the utmost of intrigue, and committed what he could to memory. He may encounter the female again, after all, and her connection to this incident could be used as blackmail should the need arise. At the moment, though, Zed had more pressing concerns.

He switched places with the shadow clone inside of the car he was crouching on top of a moment before, which allowed him to maintain vision on Adam, who was currently having a temper-tantrum outside. Zed walked over to the inside of the wall and clicked the intercom system Harvey had instructed him about earlier. There was a short fizzle as the connection was established, before Zed began speaking.

"Harvey, we may have a...problem. Where were the civilians stationed on the train?"

"Well, normally, the passengers would all be ordered to the front of the train," Harvey began, "But Bull-tard and his underage G.F. leapt on at about car 17 or 18 instead of at the back, with car 38. So, the passengers instead were grouped at the rear of the train, where there are two automated turrets. Speaking of which, I'm getting this _weird_ message on the control panel about-"

"The younger of the two disconnected the front few cars from the entire rear portion of the train, yes." Zed confirmed. "If what you have just informed me of is indeed the protocol that the passengers followed, then _every single_ _person_ on this train is now stranded and confined in an engineless metal container, sitting the middle of a forest teeming with the Grimm."

Harvey paused for a moment in grim (no pun intended) realization. "And with all of the alarms blaring, they'll be spewing negativity. The Grimm will come runnin', and it'll be like shootin' fishin a barrel."

"If that expression is to be taken as literally as it sounds, than I believe you are exactly correct. It is likely that the passengers will be dead within the hour," Zed emotionlessly affirmed.

"I'll uh...I'll see if I can get Karl or this Schnee loser to get in contact with the local Atlesian forces waiting for our arrival at the station. Maybe they can get someone from Beacon to come down and rescue everyone in time. Thanks for the heads up. What about Adam? Did he leave with her too?"

"No, but it appears as though the separation of the two terrorists was not on amicable terms. He is currently-" A large crash sounded from nearby, and Zed paused in a 'that looked expensive' flinch, which Harvey knew all too well.

"He's...a little angry." Harvey finished for Zed, as another loud noise echoed from the ninja's end of the receiver.

"Yes, yes he is."

* * *

Adam let out another battle cry to let the metal crate know it had been brutally beaten in their battle to the death. It was a close fight; the compounded steel took a couple hefty swings to successfully chop in half, but it didn't last too long, and was ultimately kicked off the side of the train after a few slashes. It got what it deserved for sitting there and stubbing his toe while he was stomping around. Served it right, damn box.

Adam waited a couple seconds to take a few deep breaths and let out some steam before continuing, and went over the plan again. He would simply plant the charges, call for the bullheads that were waiting on his signal, and then take as much refined dust as they possibly could, before leaving the train and detonating the charges. He _would_ have called off the mission for the purpose of capturing Blake for her desertion, but the amount of dust they could get from this raid was simply too large to pass up.

Adam growled at the unfortunate circumstances, and took out the explosives he was going to use. He was about to begin planting the device when a sharp whistling of the air broke his concentration. Out of trained reflex, Adam dropped the explosive, reached for his sword, and began to rotate his body in an attempt to dodge the throwing weapon, but it was completely and utterly futile.

The projectile was moving too fast, and was much larger than Adam had expected; the shuriken that was streaking directly towards his chest was almost two feet in diameter. The sharp end ripped through the little that remained of his aura and left a long gash across his chest and shoulder. If he had been milliseconds slower, the blade would have sheared straight through his chest and killed him almost instantly.

Adam drew his blade and whipped around in the direction of the shuriken attack, only to see a dark blur dash by from the _opposite_ direction, which Adam had just turned his back to, and leave a painful cut across the left side of his abdomen as it went. Adam staggered slightly as a result, and looked up to identify his attacker with a growl.

Simply put, the man in front of him resembled a human Grimm. The figure bore plated metal armor across most of his body, the only exception being some black cloth surrounding his knees and elbows. The helmet was surrounded by cloth that hung out loosely from under the plates on his shoulders. Most notably, however, were the gleaming blood red eyes, and the absolutely massive bladed gauntlets that sat atop his forearms, extending far beyond his hands. The right one was stained red with Adam's blood. The man flicked his blade, and the blood spattered across the floor. Then, he spoke.

"Leave," Zed directed. "And you may yet live." It was a threat, to be sure. Zed hoped that it would be enough. While the man was dangerous, and Zed would much prefer to simply kill him now, the ninja could always search for Adam when he himself was in better shape. Unfortunately, Zed's luck held up just about as well as it had previously.

"Look, you Schnee mercenary. I'm not in a good mood. I'm going to kill you, and blow up this train. If you think any different, feel free to-GAH!" Adam shouted out in a mixture of confusion, surprise, and agony, as a smoking black blade pierced directly through his right shoulder, courtesy of a shadow clone. Zed was aware that he was potentially showing his hand a little too soon, but he needed to put himself on equal footing with Adam, and hold him off until…

Zed's eyes widened in surprise as a shotgun blast exploded from Adam's _sheathe._ Ignoring how _utterly mechanically impossible_ that seemed, Zed shadow-swapped behind Adam to dodge the firearm. To Adam's credit, he reacted rather quickly, but Zed was able to raise he right arm just in time to deflect the strike off to the side. The ninja then lashed out at Adam with his other blade, but the swordsman spun just out of reach, and used the momentum to perform a horizontal slash, which Zed blocked by crossing his blades in an X-formation in front of him.

The red katana glided across the metal of Zed's blades with a shower of sparks, and Zed forced to painfully tense his core as Adam threw all of his weight behind the attack. Zed then leapt backwards and disengaged the terrorist to put some distance between them.

Zed had to admire the man's pain tolerance. The fact that Adam was still combating Zed with a useless arm and multiple lacerations was certainly respectable, but Zed wasn't fighting to win. The waist injury was restricting his movement too much, and he was probably suffering from internal bleeding as well.

Regardless, a quick glance to the roof of the car behind him told Zed all he needed to know. The Master of Shadows closed the entire distance between him and Adam in one single bound. Adam reacted by bringing his sword to bear again, ready to block the attack, but one moment before the impact, Zed vanished into thin air, and what took his place was loud gunshot. Adam had no time to react, and the rifle round blasted a hole straight through Adam's chest.

"SUCK ON THAT YOU SONOVA BITCH!" The ecstatic shout of vindication came from Harvey, who was now revealed to be standing proudly on the roof of a nearby train car, with a lever-action rifle in his right hand. "THAT WAS FOR MY KNEE TWO YEARS AGO!"

Adam was on his knees, in extreme pain and occasionally coughing blood. His slowly regenerating Aura was pounding in overdrive as he tried to get himself off of the ground, but glanced up as a pair of legs entered his view.

"Y-You _bastard…"_ Adam cracked out, staring defiantly at the red eyes in front of him.

Zed answered him with a solid kick to the chest, that sent Adam over the edge of the speeding train and into the wilderness below.

" _Die_ , you useless vermin. May your soul be tortured in the afterlife."

* * *

The remainder of the train ride was rather uneventful. Zed spent it slumped uncomfortably against a wall, as Harvey said it was better than sitting in a chair.

Zed didn't bother arguing.

Karl and been able to get a message to "Beacon Academy" about the passengers, but there was still no word on survivors.

Other than that, the plan to eliminate Adam had worked perfectly. Zed was able to successfully distract the man by inflicting _relatively_ superficial wounds until Harvey, who stealthily made his way to the predesignated vantage point during the fight, placed a bullet straight into Adam's chest cavity. Although that did beg the question…

"So you're a huntsmen, then." Zed more stated, than asked. Harvey let out a small chuckle as he spun around in the revolving chair.

"Picked up on that one did you? The gun give it away?" He took a swig from the beer in his left hand.

"No conductor I've ever met knows how to bandage a wound so properly. Besides, you do not become so accurate with a rifle on accident."

"Well, I'm an ex-huntsman to be more specific. Graduated from Beacon down here in Vale, and I guess the career just wasn't for me. Found the love of my life, y'know. The job took too much time away from raisin' a family, so I settled for doin' this gig. Pays a bit more 'cause I got the combat experience, though I can't exactly hold my own against Adam for very long," Harvey lamented as he tapped his knee; a metallic clanging resounding from the impact. "Doubt I could last against _you_ for very long either, ninja man; That's one fancy semblance you got there. Though I can't imagine all that jumpin' around is doing yah too much good," Harvey reminded Zed, gesturing towards his rather unbecoming position against the wall.

Zed lout out a snort of mild amusement. "I've fought with worse injuries before, but the pain distracts from the use of my... _semblance."_ Zed spoke the word carefully, recalling the term Harvey had used to describe the shadow techniques.

"About that; you're not really a Huntsman, are ya?"

Zed sat up a little straighter and narrowed his eyes slightly. "...No."

"Yeah, I thought not. You don't fight like one. Your weapons are too lethal, and your attacks don't have any restraint. If I had to guess, you were trained-"

"-As an assassin." Zed finished. "Yes."

"And how many have you killed?" Harvey's tone was much more serious than before. It was proven now that his train conductor persona was nothing more than an elaborate facade: Harvey had known Zed wasn't a huntsman all along. Lying was pointless, now.

"Many. I do not keep track." The train's brakes began to screech as the machine neared the station. Multiple flashing lights could be seen outside. Both men stood up to proceed outside. Harvey grabbed his rifle

"Do you regret what you've done?" The door hissed open, letting in the artificial outside lights. A collection of armed officers not unlike those present in Piltover could be seen on the other side.

"No."

* * *

 **And that's it! Hope you enjoyed this longer chapter. Once story really gets rolling, I want them to reach 3k consistently. It's another cliffhanger, I know, but it'll be like this for a bit until I can really get the story moving. Have a good one, and don't forget to write a review to let me know what you think. Going back over those messages is really what inspired me to keep writing again. -The WovenMantis**


	5. Chapter 5: Headmistresses & Hijinx

**Chapter 5: Headmistresses and Hijinx**

* * *

"We've got one injured!" Harvey called as he exited, gesturing to Zed, who came out shortly after with a limp in his gait. A few officers grabbed him by the shoulders, and lead him to the open trunk of a van, where he sat down on the lip. Harvey moved to speak with a tall woman off to the side, who was wearing a short but gaudy purple cape.

"Alright, uh, tell me where it hurts?" Zed's attention was then drawn to the short woman standing in front of him. She was young, in her early twenties, and was dressed in standard white military fatigues, but she had somehow managed to incorporate a knee-length skirt. There was a blue plus-sign emblazoned on her right shoulder. Her large, blue eyes were staring at Zed, slightly unsure.

"Lower chest and abdomen," Zed replied. "Blunt force. I may have sustained additional injuries."

"U-hm. Alright, let me just take a look here…" She brushed her hair to the side, and hesitantly began to inspect the indicated region. Zed was unsure what exactly was causing her nervousness, but he figured he would try a technique he learned from Kayn, in this situation.

"You know, I won't bite."

She paused and looked up, likely bewildered that something as sinister-looking as this huntsman was even capable of uttering a joke.

Zed attempted to smile with his eyes. It probably didn't look very friendly.

"R-Right, sorry. It's just, things have been a little crazy recently, and I didn't expect something to happen at two in the morning...Oh! It looks like you've taken some buckshot. Let me just grab that out."

"Wait, what are you-"

Zed's muscles tightened and he stifled a curse as this seemingly docile woman _jammed_ the tweezers into his wound, and pulled out a small metal ball that had been embedded in his side. Good to know that the mannerisms of medical professionals transcended dimensions.

"There you are! All better." She gave him a pat on the head.

"Don't patronize me," Zed grumbled.

"Don't worry silly, nobody likes being shot! Now I just have to fix you up." Her hand began to glow a baby blue as she reached towards Zed's injury.

He stopped the movement halfway. "What are you doing?"

"Healing you. With my semblance."

"And how does that work, exactly?"

"It's easy! I just push some of my aura into you, and it'll just-" She made a motion with her hands by interlacing her fingers. "-come together!"

"...I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Oh, relax. I've done it a hundred times before."

Zed was unsure of the nature of aura. Semblances, from what he understood, were personal skills somehow manifested from this "aura," but other than that, he was clueless.

"If you're sure…"

The girl hovered her hand over the damaged area, and a strong tickling sensation came over his chest. The feeling wasn't entirely unfamiliar. He had encountered multiple summoners during his time battling in the League, and naturally one of them had cast "Heal" on him previously. The effect was almost identical. His flesh and bones had knit themselves back together within seconds. She seemed to stagger for a moment, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, before they snapped back into place and she regained her balance.

"Are you alright Ms…?"

"Alice, and yes, I'm fine. It just takes a little bit out of me." She smiled a fake smile to complement her lie, but Zed didn't bother questioning it.

He instead nodded and stood up, stretching his muscles. Good as new.

"Well, thank you Ms. Alice," Zed bowed, "I suppose I owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Just doing my job! Anyway, I've got other people to check, so I better get to it." Zed observed as she half-walked-half stumbled over to Karl and the Overseer whose name Zed could not recall. The ninja opted to join up with Harvey, who seemed to be wrapping up his conversation.

"Hey, Zed, I was just about to come over," the man greeted. "There's someone I wantcha to meet. Glynda?" Harvey gestured over to the woman next to him, who stood ramrod straight, with a nice-looking pleated top. Her blonde hair in a bun, and a pair of ovular glasses were pushed to the top of her nose. The poise in her stature reminded Zed somewhat of Fiora. He didn't care very much for Fiora.

"Mr. Zed, was it? My name is Glynda Goodwitch." She nodded.

"Just Zed," he answered, with a nod of his own.

"She works directly under Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy." Harvey added.

"Yes," Glynda began, "And I'd like to thank you for your assistance in this rather tenebrous matter. Needless to say, your efforts saved many lives today."

"Of course. I must ask, however, what became of those in the disconnected portion of the train?"

Her stone-cold visage faltered for a moment. "Thirteen of the civilians had already been killed by the time our evacuation team arrived. Everyone else was retrieved safely, disregarding a few minor injuries, thanks to the intervention of our Beacon staff. I'll personally send condolences to the families of the lost." She cleared her throat; a clear indication she wanted to change topics. "Now, this is all fairly standard regulation, so if you would just show me your Huntsman license, you can be on your way, unless you wish to speak to the press."

Zed was about to voice that he didn't have a Huntsman license because he wasn't a Huntsman, but as he took in a breath to respond, he saw Harvey standing behind Ms. Goodwitch, and he was shaking his head frantically; making a "cutthroat" motion with his hand.

Zed needed an excuse. "O-Of course. Allow me to just…" He feigned checking a pocket, and then proceeded to theatrically pat around himself in an attempt to seem surprised. "I'm afraid I don't have it with me. Perhaps I lost it when recovering from my injuries?"

Glynda let out an impatient sigh, before expanding her holographic tablet and bringing up a menu. "It's fine. Simply give me your full name and Huntsman ID number, and I should be able to confirm your identity."

 _Blast!_ "Yes. Birth name is Zed..." He paused, both to find a proper answer, and because he saw Harvey making a "poof" motion with his hands some twenty feet behind Goodwitch.

"Zed…?" Glynda asked in an elongated manner, anticipating a last name.

"I-"

The ninja was graciously interrupted when the noise of an engine running _loudly_ caused the blonde huntress to turn around. Leaning out the window of a blue pickup truck was Harvey, waving his hand in the air. "Hey Glynda! I'm headin' home for the night after such a long day! You'll vouch for me with the Vale PD, right?"

"I don't have the patience for your shenanigans tonight Mr. Bueller! If you drive away, so help me _God_ I will-"

"Great, I knew you would! ThankssomuchIoweyouonebye!" Harvey shouted has he floored the gas pedal, kicking up a wave of mud and dirt behind him.

"HARVEY BUELLER!" She shouted, before realizing the action was pointless, and promptly shook her head in frustration. "That man, I tell you. Now, where where w-" Glynda stopped herself mid-sentence as she turned around, only to find Zed completely gone - absent without a trace. Sparks practically shot from in-between her teeth, and the Scroll stylus she had in her hand snapped in pure rage.

"Ms. Goodwitch?" The police sergeant asked as he approached, "I was just coming over to tell you that…" He took one look at her face before heading back the way he came. "Actually, I'll just send you an email."

* * *

 **"WOOOOHOOOO!"** Harvey cheered over the rushing wind; left arm hanging through the open window banging gleefully on the door of his pickup. "Oh man _what a rush!_ Cappin' Adam Taurus, savin' a train, and trickin' Goodwitch all in _one night!_ I could put that shit on my résumé!" The conductor threw his head back in another mad cackle before looking over to his partner in crime with a toothy grin, and giving him a hearty slap on the back.

Zed was turned around anxiously looking through the rear window, half-expecting to see a rampaging, caped witch right on their heels. When no such thing appeared, he let out a long sigh and rested his helmeted head back against the seat cushion. This had been one of the most stressful days of his life; almost as terrible as when he found a rebellious Akali on his doorstep. The letter he had sent to Shen was... _interesting_ to say the least. Despite his momentary reminiscence, one fact still still didn't sit right with him… "Harvey, may I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Why exactly are you assisting in my escape? _Surely_ you don't make a habit of transporting assassins." There was a short pause.

"Why?" Harvey asked aloud, as if he wasn't quite sure of the answer himself.

The pickup jostled as it transitioned from the dirt path onto a gravel one, and a city came into view between the trees.

"Look, Zed. I don't know a whole lot about you. I don't _really_ know where you come from, or what it is that got you all wrapped up on my train, But what I _do know,_ is that you saved me tonight. Hell, you saved everyone on the damn train!" He let out a small laugh at his own joke, before settling down, and returning to a calm seriousness. "We all got our little slice of heaven. I've got my wife, and my son, y'know? And err'body else got their loved ones out there. They're still alive because of what you did. That's what us Huntsmen signed up for: to be human shields against the Grimm. Against evil. I figured gettin' you outta trouble here would be returning the favor, I don't know. Does that make sense?"

"I… think I understand Harvey, thank you."

"Dontcha thank me just yet, we still gotta get through wall security. I know these guys though, so it shouldn't be too much trouble. Just let _me_ do the talkin'." he informed. Wall security, as Harvey called them, was comprised of a series of armed officers and emplacements surrounding the city of Vale, defending the massive concrete wall separating the city from any encroaching Grimm. There were a few guards stationed on the outside that watched the battered vehicle slowly approach. One of them peered through the open driver's-side window with a flashlight as Harvey brought the truck to a stop in front of the gate.

"Evenin' officer," Harvey greeted with a tip of his brown homburg. "Slow night?"

"As always, Harv." The cop replied, giving Havey's ID a once-over before handing it back to him with a nod. "Any goods or passengers?"

"Yeah, actually. I got-" Harvey began, only to pause when he realized that the seat next to him was entirely empty. A half smile came across his visage as he turned back to the policeman. "Naw, naw. Just me, same as always."

"Alright. Move along." The solid iron gate rose on a large, mechanized pulley just enough for the blue pickup to pass through.

Harvey shook his head in muted disbelief, and let out a long sigh before taking out his scroll and dialing a number. "Hey Ozpin? We need to talk. I think the _Queen_ just gained a new bishop." Harvey took another look around the surrounding area before driving off. "Call me ASAP."

Zed watched, crouched on the edge of a parapet running along the outside of the Vale battlement, as Harvey's rusted pickup proceeded through the gate without issue, and the militiamen resumed their post. Good. No guards needed to die tonight.

A quick glance across the wall revealed an assortment of guards leading down into the city. They were tired, unalert, and few in number. Easily avoided for a practiced thief, but child's play for even the lowest-ranking ninja in the Order of Shadow.

Zed moved silently across the cascading series of walls and floors as he made his way towards street level. His silhouette melded flawlessly with the stretching shadows across the sparsely-lit corridors of the guard barracks, before he reached the lowest lip of the innermost wall, and leapt down onto a dilapidated concrete building. He brushed himself off, and looked upwards towards Vale proper.

"By Aurelion Sol's beard…"

The city was absolutely magnificent. Not even the high spires of Demacia could hold a candle to the pure beauty of Vale at night. Shops and buildings lined the streets, complexes and skyscrapers pierced the heavens, and sparkling, multicolored lights shone brilliantly across the landscape. Zed could stare at it for hours.

The city itself seemed... _alive._ People strolled down the distant streets with smiles on their faces, and self-propelled metal carriages made their way across finely-paved roads. This was nothing compared to Ionia. To Zaun, to Noxus. To all of Runeterra.

Zed sighed, and sat down on the lip of the building's roof, where a beige cat had clambered up the drainpipe and sat curiously, watching him.

He stroked its fur affectionately, and the feline purred and laid against him in response. He sat for a few minutes, enjoying the view, before resigning himself to the day's next task.

Zed reached around on to his back, and grabbed the left shoulder pauldron Harvey had clapped earlier.

* * *

 _"Oh man what a rush! Cappin' Adam Taurus, savin' a train, and trickin' Goodwitch all in one night! I could put that shit on my résumé!" The conductor threw his head back in another mad cackle before looking over to his partner in crime with a toothy grin, and giving him a hearty slap on the back._

* * *

His fingers wrapped around a small metal disc that was magnetized onto his back, and brought it in front of his face. It was some sort of technological device, that much was certain.

 _Thin, circular, and magnetic,_ Zed thought to himself again.

It was meant to attach to something, and stay there. Small enough to remain hidden for great lengths, and placed surreptitiously onto his epaulet. Was it some sort of tracker?

Zed resisted the overwhelming urge to crush the disc as he pictured doing the same to Harvey's skull. This man was no train conductor, that much he had admitted himself, but Harvey was far more astute and cunning the Zed had initially given him credit for - a mistake he would _not_ be making again.

Zed smiled deviously behind his helm as he noticed the cat's collar: a red, leather ring sitting graciously upon its neck, and a single metal medallion hung from the rim, engraved with the word "Baxter." Zed took the potential tracker, and attached it to the back of the cat's collar with a satisfying "click."

"Perfect," he said aloud, giving Baxter another pat before moving to rest against a nearby brick chimney.

His time spent in this "Remnant" so far had been hectic and action-packed; Deeds done out of necessity and survival, rather than choice or profit. It was now, staring at the impossibility before him, that it truly dawned on him how far away from home he truly was. He had no friends, no enemies, no allies, no subordinates, and no identity. A blank slate.

Zed fell asleep to the comforting lights of Vale, and his memories of Ionia.

Wherever he was, he hoped Kayn was doing okay.

* * *

Pax'Natar flitted nervously across the rocky plains of his home, searching for the High Chamber of his master. He passed other small creatures along his way, who were also going about their assigned tasks with an infectious fervor, lest they meet the same fate as the last messenger: disintegrated to atoms.

The Void was a treacherous place - a wrong step across the plains, or drifting too far away from stable matter could result in the transportation to another world, or instantaneous death. The creatures that inhabited this Void had evolved to survive, whether it be through strength or knowledge, and none were more knowledgeable than Pax'Natar's master.

He came across a large chunk of rock more solid than the others, and pulsing with violet Void energy. The small tentacle creature floated up to the top, and came across a series of hovering slabs, all engraved with runes familiar only to those of the Eternal Darkness. A voice rose from one of the back corners.

"You're disturbing my work. This had better not be a trivial matter."

"O-of course not, oh Infinite One. I come as a herald of a new discovery."

"Oh? Pray tell, what chaff have you scrounged up today?" The tone grew dismissive.

"A-A portal of sorts opened in Ionia. The _Prophet_ tracked the wormhole to its source, and we have found where it leads. _A new world,_ master. Untouched by the Void."

The various tablets lost their glow and crashed to the ground. Large, purple tentacles crept their way out of the darkness, revealing a large, violet eye, bearing down on the subordinate voidling. "Truly? Perhaps you have some merit after all. Show me what you have found. If what you say is correct, _there is much to learn."_

"Absolutely, Wise One of the Void. Pax'Natar will show you, great Vel'Koz, what he has discovered. Knowledge is the gateway to domination."

"Indeed it is, my servant. Indeed it is…"

* * *

 **AN: Holy shit! This took way too long. College Applications, NHS, service trips, and AP classes really keep your ass busy senior year. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, because it took nearly a year to upload for literally no viable reason. I'll try to update more in the future. I think it's partially because of my perfectionist attitude, and I tend not to write anything until I've found the right words.**

 **Also, the Void is already here guys! I figured it wouldn't take them long to find Remnant. After all, it's the sole purpose for their existence! Also, (if anyone is even still here (lol), be sure to LEAVE A REVIEW! It's the only way I can tell if y'all like what I'm putting out, and namely, your REVIEWS AND PMs are what keep me motivated, so the more you review and comment, the more words get written. Hope everyone's been having a wonderful time.**

 **P.S. - At the behest of a friend, I've been considering starting a RWBY x Infinity Blade Crossover featuring the God King, as he moves to take his rightful place a king of Remnant. If this interests you, please comment your opinion.**


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